BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two groups of people heavily impacted by I-69’s expansion from Bloomington to Martinsville have released different dates of when the project will be completed, which in turn has caused confusion for many.
On Tuesday, city employees were invited to attend a closed meeting to discuss the timeline of Section 5 of I-69, according to the Bloomington Mayor’s Office. During the meeting, Isolux Development Partners told employees the project would not be completed until August 2018.
Later that night, Gov. Eric Holcomb’s press secretary said the construction was projected to be complete by October of 2017, not August of 2018.
The secretary said the 2018 date was mentioned in error during the meeting.
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With two different dates of the project’s completion making its way around town, it has led to confusion.
“I continue to be exceedingly frustrated with the opaque nature of this process. A major delay being disclosed in a small meeting is not how government should operate,” said Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton. “Just yesterday two more people were injured in a construction zone crash. None of the partners in this project will take responsibility for the ongoing problem that this project has become for the thousands of people who rely on this transportation corridor every day. Hoosier residents and travelers are dealing with avoidable delays, inconvenience, and safety risks. I will be requesting a meeting with Governor Holcomb to express my concern and ask for transparent collaboration and a real plan for completion.”
Officials at the Bloomington Mayor’s Office said during the closed meeting, negotiations between Isolux and its subcontractors were described as ongoing and needing to be finalized before a firm date of completion could then be formally negotiated with the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Indiana Finance Authority.
